Vehicle-axle.



W. BETZs VEHICLE AELE,

APILIGATION HLM) AUG.5,1907A Patented Nov. 3, 1908,

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'wheel embodying WILLIAM BETZ, 0F WATAGA, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-AXLE Specification of Letters Patent.

:Patented Nov. 3, 190s.

Application filed August 6, 1907.- Serial No. 387,077.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NiLLIAM B E'rz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wlatafra, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Axles, of which the following is a specification.

This ipvention relates to vehicle axles.

.One o ject of the invention is to provide an axle embodying such characteristics that it may be automatically lubricated.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an axle constructed and arranged. for cooperation with the hub boxes of t ie wheels to lock the boxes at their inner ends with the axle and thereby obviate the use of nuts at the outer ends of the axle.

A still further object ofthe invention is to provide an axle and a boxing for the such characteristics that the axle and oxin may be properly locked together against isplacenient and to also provide the boxing with ribs or knife edges adapted to bite into the wooden hub of the wheel to interlock the boxing and hub.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly it being the form, proportion, size and ininor details within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is aside elevation of a vehicle axle constructed in accordance with the improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation enlar ed, of the journal portion of the axle wit the improvements apwith a portion of the hub 'in section.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation .of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 3 looking toward the, inner end of the journal, and without the lubricating cup.

. Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference char acter 1 indicates the axle which may be formed of a single piece of suitable material or two pieces welded together, as indicated at 2, the latter forming practically a one piece axle. Each end. of the axle is provided witli a longitudinal bore 3 terininating short of the middle of the axle and at its inner end directed upwardly as indi cated at 4, for the purpose oit' providing an opening which is preferably screw threaded to receive the screw threaded leg portion 5 of the hard oil cup (i. The bores 3 at each end of the axle open through the outer ends of the axle, and between the ends of each bore is a passage 7 adapted to convey oil, grease or other lubricating material Jfrom the corresponding bore 3 to a groove 8 formed in the top of journal portions of the axle at each end thereof, the grooves 8 being ada )ted to receive lubricant for the efficient 1u ricatioii of the-boxing 9 of each wheel, each box 9 being rovided with two or more ribs or knife e ges 10 adapted to bite into the hub 11 of the wheel' to prevent accidental slipping of' the hubs u on the boxings. The inner end of each hu is disposed against a shoulder 12 on the correspondinv box while the outer end of each box pro3ects slightly beyond the corresponding end of the axle with the ribs 10 terminating short of the outer end of the boxings so that the latter may have their outer ends screw threaded to receive the ca nuts 13 which latter may receive lubricating mate rial when applied to the boxing, there being a lock nut 14: arranged between the inner end of each cap nut 13 and the outer end of the hub of the wheel. Thus by simply removing the cap nuts 13', the bores 3 at the correspondinor ends of the axle may be readily cleaned. e Each of the boxes is provided near its inner end with a collar 15 in spaced relation to the aforesaid shoulder 12, and beyond this collar 15 the inner end of each boxing is preferably fiared outwardly, asindicated at16, the flaring end 16 of each boxing bearing a ainst a collar 17 carried by the axle l, an reference to Fig. 3 will disclose that the aforesaid grooves 8 of the axle extend nearly to the collar 17 and beyond the collar 15.

The reference characters 18 and 19 indicate clam ing members, each of which is semi-circo ar in cross section and has the interior of its enlarged. inner end provided in the top of the ends with semi-circular grooves 20 and 21 adapted to t over the collars l5 and 17, respectively, to interlock the boxin and axle together. Each clamping mem er is also rovided with a formation between its en s to accommodate the flaring part 16 of the corresponding boxing. This flaring part of each boxing and t e collars 15 and 17 may be lubricated through the instrumentality of the diverging passage ways 22 in each upper clamping member 18 by means of a ard oil cup 23 provided with a cap 24 adapted to be screwed into the cup 23 to force the lubricant through the passage ways 22 for an eliicient lubrication of each boxing with respect to each end of the axle, the lubricant passing through the passage ways 22, finally entering the corresponding grooves 8 of the axle. The oil cup 23 may be of smaller size than the oil cups 6, as therevolving portion of the boxin re uires less lubricating than the journa s o the axles, and as each cup receives hard oil or grease, the cup 6 is constructedy to receive a cap 25 adapted to perform the' same function with respect to the forcing of the lubricant from the cup 6, as is accomplished by the cap 24 with regard tothe cup 23. Y

From the foregoing it will be seen that the connection 'between the clamping members and the axle may be regarded as a cone bearing and it will also be seen that the clamping members 18 and 19 may be considered in the light of a bisected sleeve whose parts each carry pairs of lon Aitudinal flanges 27 and 28 respectively, W ereby the bisected parts of the sleeve may be firmly secured upon the axle and the 'boxing firmly interlocked with the ends of the axle without in any way interfering with an efflcient rotation of the boxings upon the axle. It will also be appreciated that by simply working the caps 24 and 25 ofthe cups23 and 6, respectively, the lubricant may be supplied in reo'ulated quantities and when needed. It Wilalso be understood that each end of the axle is of the same formation and that the construction of all of the elements co erating with the axle is the same at one en1 thereof as at the opposite end of the ax e.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with an axle having journals at the ends and with collars at the junctures of the body of the axle and the journals, of hub boxes mounted upon said journals and bearin against said axle col lars, each box provi ed with a collar spaced from its inner end and with the ortion between its collar and inner end aring outwardly, divided clamping members having l semi-annular interior channels bearing over the collars of the axle and of the box and with the portions of the members between the channels conforming to and engaging the flaring portions of the boxes, and means for securing the clamping members to ether.

2. The combination with an axle aving journals at the ends and with collars at the juncture of the body of the axle and the journals, of hub boxes mounted upon said journals and bearing against said axle col lars, each box threaded at the outer end and. provided with a collar spaced from its inner end and with the portion between its collar and inner end Haring outwardly, divided clamping members having semi-annular in terior channels bearing over the collars of the axlesand of the box and with portions between the channels conforming to and engaging the Haring portion of the boxes, means for securing the clamping members together, and a holding nut engaging the threaded end of the box. f

The combination with an axle-having journals at the ends and with collars at the juncture Aof the body oftheaxle and the journals, of hub boxes mounted upon said 'ournals and'l bearin lars, each box.threa ed `at the outer end and 'provided with a collar spaced from its inner end and with the portion between its collar and inner end Haring outwardly, divided clamping members having semi-annular interior channels bearing over the collars of the axles and the box and with portions between the channels conforming to and engaging the flaring portion of the boxes, means for securing the clamping members together, a holding nut engagingthe threaded end of the box, and adapted to bear against the hub, 'and an internally threaded cap engaging the threaded end of the box and bearing against the holding nut and ex tending over the end of the box and axle journal.

4. An axle box includin Aa body portion having a Haring end, a co] ar carried by the box', a shoulder carried by the box in spaced relation to the collar, and knife ribs carried by the box. j

5. The. combination with an `axle havin a collar, of a box having a Haring inner en engagin said collar, a collar carried by the box, an means overlapping said collars to couple the box to the axle, said meanshielding said collars.

6. The combination with a'n axle-having a collar, of a box having a Haring inner en engaging said collar, a collar carried .b thel box, clampin members en aging' sai cols lars to coup e the box and axle together, and an oil cup carried by one of said clam -A ing members and adapted to. feed oil to said elements.

7 The combination with an axle carrying a collar, of a, box carrylng a, collar between lts ends, means overlapplng sind collars and constructed to couple the collar and box to-` 5 gether, the ou'ter end of the bok being screw threaded, and a nut adapted for engagement with the screw threads of the box.

in presence of two witnesses.

Vitnesses CHAs. BROWN,

WILLIAM BETE.

J. H. MERRILL. 

